Big-Ship Big-Gun Combined Fleet

Chapter 60 - Aircraft Carriers Hit

108 SB2C Helldiver dive bombers broke through the interception network of Zero fighters. Among them, 72 aircraft from the TG 3.3 and TG 3.4 targeted the Fourth Fleet, while 36 aircraft from TG 3.5 aimed at the Third Fleet. On the targeted side, both the Third and Fourth Fleets had no fighters to protect them overhead. They relied on the anti-aircraft weapons of their own ships and escort vessels, along with the evasive maneuvers of each ship.

Within the thin circular formation of the Fourth Fleet, the 72 SB2Cs that penetrated organized formations, aligned themselves according to each mother ship, and transitioned into a rapid descent. The number of bullets launched toward the divided SB2Cs, although not abundant, was not promising. Despite having six aircraft carriers, only eight destroyers guarded their surroundings, aside from the heavy cruiser Chikuma. Most of the large vessels such as battleships and heavy cruisers, equipped with numerous anti-aircraft weapons, were prioritized for deployment against surface strike forces. Therefore, expecting dense anti-aircraft fire was unrealistic, and only a few aircraft were actually shot down.

In such a dire situation, Sōryū and Hiryū continued evasive maneuvers, utilizing speeds exceeding 34 knots. Having experienced the formidable power of American dive bombers in the Battle of Brisbane last year, they were well aware of the destructive potential of the 1.000-pound bombs dropped by SB2Cs. Sōryū and Hiryū skillfully dodged every bomb dropped by SB2Cs. However, it was impossible to evade all of them, especially when targeted by more than a dozen planes.

First, the Sōryū took a hit at the bow, obliterating the machine gun emplacement. Simultaneously, the tip of the flight deck curled up, completely losing its catapult function. Hiryū also suffered two hits consecutively at the front, and a part of the flight deck was blown off.

By then, Chitose, Chiyoda, Nisshin, and Mizuho were also emitting smoke. Although smaller targets compared to Sōryū and Hiryū, they were slower by more than five knots and had lower defense capabilities. Chitose, Chiyoda, and Nisshin each took two hits, and the unfortunate Mizuho suffered three hits. Through painful lessons from the Battle of Brisbane, each carrier had improved its emergency command systems and conducted training to enhance damage control capabilities. Thanks to these efforts, their ability to respond to emergency damage had clearly improved since the beginning of the war. However, for the 10.000-ton Mizuho, simultaneous hits by three 1.000-pound bombs were indeed severe. The damage exceeded its tolerance, and Mizuho turned into a blazing inferno, soon coming to a halt on the open sea.

While the Fourth Fleet's carriers were under attack by SB2Cs, the Third Fleet was also facing a raid from the 36 planes launched by TG 3.5. The SB2Cs, split for each mother ship, focused their massive volume on the Kaga and Akagi, the two largest carriers in the Third Fleet, and then on the slightly smaller Ryūhō. Despite counterattacks with high-angle guns and a large number of newly added machine guns, Kaga and Akagi could only manage to shoot down one aircraft each. Reduced to eleven planes each, the SB2Cs intensified their attacks on Kaga and Akagi, hitting Kaga with three bombs and Akagi with two. Both suffered unfortunate hits, depriving them of their carrier-based aircraft launch and recovery capabilities. The Ryūhō, while desperately maneuvering to escape the clutches of the SB2Cs, suffered three hits due to its slow speed of 26,5 knots, causing fires in the engine room and bringing it to a halt on the open sea.

The tragedy did not end there. Concealed amidst the chaos of the SB2C air raid, the submarine Albacore infiltrated the inner circle of the Third Fleet's formation and scored a torpedo hit on the weakened Ryūhō. Already in critical condition after taking three 1.000-pound bombs, the damage inflicted by a single torpedo was too much for the Ryūhō to endure. Shortly thereafter, the order to abandon ship was given for the Ryūhō, making it the first aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy to be sunk.

Furthermore, despite the excellent damage control that quickly extinguished fires on any ship, four water columns rose on the starboard side of Akagi, which had supposedly handled fires faster than any other ship. This was the result of an attack by Cavalla, which, like Albacore, had infiltrated the inner circle of the formation. Although converted from a battlecruiser, Akagi was rated as the most defensively superior carrier in the Imperial Navy alongside Kaga. However, facing four torpedoes simultaneously, especially on the same starboard side, was insurmountable. The Imperial Navy carrier force suffered a major blow, with three carriers destroyed and six vessels damaged by the combined attacks from the air and sea.